In this concise, thought-provoking book, prominent researchers analyze existing knowledge on adolescent literacy, examine the implications for classroom instruction, and offer specific goals for future research. The volume reviews cutting-edge approaches to understanding the unique features of teaching and learning in secondary schools. Particular attention is given to how teaching literacy across disciplines can improve students' content-area learning, and the book includes chapters dedicated to literacy in math and science classrooms. Also addressed are key findings and unresolved questions regarding fluency instruction, struggling adolescent readers, responding to the literacy needs of African American adolescents, and literacy coaching.

"This superb volume is a 'must read' for anyone interested in understanding what it means to study content literacies with a strong theoretical background. The editors bring together several content areas in one volume to showcase what adolescent literacy means across contexts. Finally! I can't wait to use this book in my content methods classroom in the future."--Mary K. Thompson, PhD, Department of Learning and Instruction, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York"This splendid book is a welcome contribution to the literature on adolescent literacy. Nearly every page provides a stimulating gem of an idea that those who are committed to understanding youth and their literacy will find thought provoking and useful."--Patricia L. Anders, PhD, Professor and Head, Department of Language, Reading, and Culture, College of Education, University of Arizona"Only rarely does a book come along that so provocatively focuses our attention on issues of adolescent literacy. This volume offers a nuanced understanding of the challenges facing educators as they promote literacy and content-area learning and at the same time support students in developing identities that provide spaces of opportunity. Readers learn about promising instructional practices and lines of investigation, with an emphasis on the nexus between in- and out-of-school literacies. One cannot read this book without seeing adolescent literacy in new ways. I would definitely use this book in my doctoral seminar in disciplinary literacy, and will also consider it for my master's preservice teachers' course in middle and high school literacy."--Cynthia Hynd Shanahan, EdD, Department of Literacy, Language, and Culture, University of Illinois at Chicago"The perspectives in this book will both inform the reader and stimulate interest in where the field is heading in the future. The authors explore vital issues surrounding the development of instructional practices that can enable adolescents to learn meaningfully in formal and informal school environments, and can build bridges between cultural knowledge and in-school learning."--Marino C. Alvarez, EdD, Department of Teaching and Learning, College of Education, Tennessee State University"Education students representing a variety of perspectives and disciplines will find this book valuable. The contributors are clearly knowledgeable about their areas of expertise, and their passion for each topic shines through. I see signposts toward many a worthwhile dissertation in their recommendations related to the 'research we need.' Savvy graduate students will follow those signposts with the help of the chapter reference lists, which are useful contributions in their own right."--Kelly Chandler-Olcott, EdD, School of Education, Syracuse University-Will give inquiring teachers many different perspectives on what is going on in their classrooms and what needs to be refined to improve literacy. This book made me think about the root problems with which adolescents are faced when it comes to literacy. I recommend this book to any person who is interested in thinking about and improving literacy: educators, literacy specialists, local literacy activists, administrators, and the literacy community....What I as a reader and a teacher walked away with after reading this book was not a book of lesson plans but rather a confirmation that literacy is a complex issue and that there is still much research that needs to be carried out....Whether you are a teacher, administrator, researcher, or parent, there is a chapter in this book that will make you think and rethink.--Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 3/29/2008